Mechanism for the manufacture of seamless tubes.



PATENTED PEB. 12, 1907.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1905. l

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Nm Nm,

No. 843,867. PATENTBD F3312, 1907 M. P. GAPRON.

MBGHANISM POR THB MANUFAGTURE 0F sBAMLEss TUBES.

APLIUATION FILED MAY Z6. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PATENTED FEBflZ. 1907.

M. E. GAPRON.'

MBGHAMSM POR THB MANUFAGTURE o? SEAMLESS TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1905.

3 SHEETS-I-SHEET 3Y l.. O O..

i witnesses 'UNITED' sTATns PATE Nr ernten.;

' MARSHALL-F. eAPRoN, or immuun,- orne.

wlEei-mmslvlA For-i THE MANUFACTURE oF s sixwulsss.l TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 26, 1905. Serial No. 262,468.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, MARSHALL F. CAPRON,

' residing at Elyria, in the county ofLorain andState of Ohio, a citizen of theUnited States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for the Manufacture of Seamless Tubes, of which improvements the following is a speciiication. v

The invention described herein relates'to certain-improvements in frills for the production of seamless tubes, the improvenents being especially adapted to that step of the art by which 'a tubular blank is fern" ed, such step being commonly known as pierce ing. i

The invention has for its object the prei4 vision of suitable ireans for'supporting'the mandrel-bar in proper relation to the rolls, whereby the billet is forced over tl e nandrel- `bar for supporting the billet or blank after being forced onto tlemandrel-bar and for shifting the mandrel-bar longitudinally for bringing it into operative relation tothe rolls and for withdrawing it' from the Apierced blank.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a `part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved in andrel-*bar and )illet supportingl and guid uur mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the sume'. Fig.' 3 a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, ofthe ir echanisn. Fig. 4 is a transverse section en a plane indicated bythe line .IV IV, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view, on au enlarged scale, of a portion of the ir echanism, portions being broken away. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the rear end of thenieehanisui, Fig. 7 is a sectional view ofthe carriage for shifting the mandrel-bar.. Figs.v 8, 9, and 10 are detail views ofthe guide-iraues.

In the practice of my invention any suit.

billetI and onwhich also moves the mandrelbar-shifting rrechanisin, is ordinarily of a length double that of the longest billet to be produced. The rear end-,of the frame (the provided with guidew'ays 2 for the carriage 3, which, as shown in Fig.- 7, is provided with a de ending lug 4,' adapted to engage a 'sproc {et-chain 5, assing around wheels 6, one or both ofwhic 1 are positively driven by a shaft 7l through suitable gearing'.v This shaft througlfi suitable clutch mechanism and gearing can be driven in opposite directions bv the shaft 8, the clutch' mechanism 9 being,r

siiitably shifted by its operating-lever l10. By this rrechanism or any other mechanism suitable for the purpose the head 3 caribe shifted back and' forth along its ways as required. In -order to lock this carriage as '75 against end thrust of the mandrel-bar ineident to the piercing operation, suitable lock mechanism 1s efnployed-such, for example, as that shown in the drawings, which consists of notches 11, for-ined inthe ways 2, and the swinging frame 12,mounted on the carriage and provided with lugs 13, adapted when ,the frame 12 is properly shift-edto enter the notches, and thereby lock the carriage as against movement along the ways.

As the piercing-plug on the end` of the mandrel-bar must be closely adjusted as rcgards its position relative to the rolls A, a liner adjustment of the carriage and thi. mandrel-bar should be provided and in the construction shown consists of a head 14, rnovably mounted en the carriage 3 and adapted to be shifted by means of a threaded stem 15, passiug'threugh a nut on the carriage and havingr a swivel connectionto thehead1-4.

In order to prevent `the head 14 freni rotating either during its adjustment .along the 'carriage or by the mandrel-bar during 'the piercing of the billet, a key 16 is vsecured to the head and projects into a slot -1 7 in the carriage.v The mandrel-bar 18 Vis held within the head 14 in such manner that it lcan be shifted back an d forth by the head, but is free to rotate therein: Inthe construction shown the mandrel-bar is provided with a collar 19, held within aseat-or socket in the head by a plate 20. As the mandrel rotates during the ,piercing of the'billet excessive friction between the end of the mandrel andthe head 1.4 isv avoided by antifriction-rollers'f interposedl IOO between the end the' mandrel and theendl Wall ofthe socket inthe-head, asshown in carriagaalseries ot` tilting frames 2l are iv-.a

mach1ne-.-,Whereprov1s1ou1 s made for its operation-faafor example, Aby apinion 3 1, en-

ln order to gui de and support the mandrelbar as it is' movedortvard or to` tlie-leftzt'o operative position bv the movement ofthe otally mounted-,in slots along the me ian line of the mainframe l; Theserames 21 are cnstruetedso. that the ends toward the carriage ,will be inclined and flared outwardly with flaring sides, so Athat v.the front end of the'-A mandrel will, be properly .guided onto friction-rollers 21a, mounted, Ain thev frames',

y-y'roffthe pivots of the Aframes sullieiently far so that rthe'weght of themandrel-barv on the as 'shownjfin Figs, 8,9, and; 10. .These tiltL ing`gl`ram-es are vsopvoted in the slots in the v bottom v:n nainframe or bed of the-machine thatl'normallythe 4mandrebbar Willrest .in

;the; b ottomof the half-round grooves made rin, the "riction-rollers.

The laxes ofthe rollv ers. are alittle-forward or to theleft of the axes irietionaollers would have no tendency to tiltfthe/frames backward. .Wfeights are. connected to arms on the frames so, as to glve .as'light propoinleranoe'in they same direz:-

tinn-ffi. e.,-t`o tiltingtho frames forward.. '.'The

f forward ,tilting .of the `frames is preferably lirnited by-,a suitablestop, `Whicbin the eonstructionshown consists of shoulders .23v on theyframes, (see lig.-8,) adapted to abut against the :ends of' the slots in Whioh the {.frames 21 are mounted, thereby.limitingthe tipping-movement rof the 'frames to the'left. In thiscondition, the frietion-rollerswill supl:port-fthe':mandrel-bar with its ,axis .in thef v vaxiallline ofeedofthe billet to the rolls. yIt

is Spreferredtoemploy a pair of idler-rollersl 24 asanadditional guide for. the mandrel- ..bar, 'their articular function being tosupport; `the. orwardend of the mandrel-bar vafter it is Withdrawn .from thebllet and* when the earriageisatthe, end of its lrearward movement.

-"Asfthe-mandrelbar is generally of consid- 1 erablelength andttherefore liabletosag as -it "isfbein moved forward to operative position, @the be fmouthed ends ofthe tilting frames Willeatch vthe forward ,end of themandrel fandV 'iide'itinto properalinement with the man el-barfgudes, vto -be hereinafterdescribed. These mandrel-bar'guides arepref-f rer'ably made in the form of Wings o1'. doors 25,

'mounted on .vertical shafts. provided at the lower tends', .-with toothed sectors 1 26,..1nter .meshing Witheaoh other,` asclearly vshown .in Figlio; These'Wings :are provided in their 'f adjaceritedgeswith half-round grooves which Whenaxthe ,wings mein-operative osition Iform"'aeireular o ening approximate yequal 'tofthe` external iameter; ofthc ym andrel-bar andlwill therefore'serve to centerandsupport lthe!mandrelfbar in operative posi-tion;

' ,Anyuitablemechanism may be employed for swinging the toy o losed position--- such, for example, as that shown, winch consistsofa.lug 28,ldepending from one of the -se'ctorfwheels and Aprojectinginto the path of n'lovement'of a shoulder 29 .on a sliding bar 30. 'Thisbar extends back to any conven- 4lent,.p'os1t1on--say aboutthe midole of the gaging teeth ,on thebar 30 and operated by/a hand-Wheel 32. hile thesewmgs or ydoors may beswu'ng,openbytheoperatlon of the' handfwhe'el 32 loutof they path .of the advancing billet as itvis vbegng l oeveloped along the vman irehbar, it is preferred that the `mechanism employed for` operating V the doors' or.v

Wings should f bev so' cons trueted-:thatthe doors orwings can be forged open by the' advancing end ofthe b;llet .il r

In 01u-er yto provide vsupports forthe billet and mandrel-bar as thel former is developed along the mandrel, a sersesofloors orwings .33, are mou'nted-onfvertical shafts and-pret'- erabl y alternate with the -manor-e,l-bar 'wings or doors 25. -These ,wings ory doors are provided W-th grooves in Atheir meeting e6-ges. v wlnoh when the` wings areum operatNe position `form openings ofa'p` roximately the ex.- ternal .diameter of'4 the b lletbeing voevelop ed along vthe mandrelbar, so as to ati'ord aneflicient support and gade therefor. These, doors arepreferably.operated bythe carriage 3 as it-reaches `the ends of vvits movement along the-Ways 2, andto this yend armsjtex-A ltend-from ,the vertical 4shaft of oneof ,each

pair- -offlf doors orwings (which are'eaused to vmove-in?unisonby two sectors 3'5, l int lermeshing with each other) and are conneotegbby pins or other suitable vmeansgto asliding bar 36.

-This bar 36.is providedwith tappets 37 and .38, projecting into fthe path of movement 'of vthe carriage 3,'.so thatk when ythe carriage `reaches'the forward limit of its movement the doors 33 will beolosed or brought into op erative position, and rwhenthe ,carriage reaches or approaches therearward l-m.t of its moveto permit the billet to be removed bysu'itable swinging arms, as hereinafter described.

vment, at which time.themandrelfbar w .l l be .with rawn, the doors 33 Willb'e lswung open In-orderto strip thebllletfom'.theInandrel, an abutment '39 is provided and prefb'llet along the mandrelfbar the forward end Wings or doors 25 oftheiseries. `As thede- Velopment of the b'.llet continuesfit Will'next4 the bearingsfor the idlerrag strfke the:friction-roller` 2-1". on lone-ofthe tiltingfguides 2l and so tip such frame l'that the friction-roller :carried 'thereby 'will vbe shiftedto the opposite side-fof? th'vertical plane passing throiigh the pivot-of the frame 21 and take a somewhat lower position, dependent ujoon the thickness of the wall of thel billet developed along the mandrel, and thereby serve to guide the a vaneing end 'of the b llet into the open.' ng of the Wings or doors of the billet-guides 33. After the b 1l`et has been entirely pierced andL lies wholly n the manfirel-barthe carriage 3 is unlocked and; drawn baokwa'ri an'i withit the billet until the rear end of the latter strikes against the stripping-plate 39. In this backward movement of the carriage, the man "rel-bar, an f7. bfllet any of the guides which h ave not been opened during the development of the bfllet will be foree'i open, and as the carriage reaches the rear limit of its movement all the billetguides 33 will be opened, so that the billet the billet along the mandrel.

will thereafter be supported by the 'frictionrollers of the tilting frames 21.

In order to remove the billet from these rollers, I provide a series of tilting arms along one or both sides of the path of movement ot These arms 4U are seerredv to 'shafts "41, mounted in stitable bearings on .the mainframe and adapted to be rotated to raise and lower the, arms by any sritable means-j-as, for example, y

flrid-pressi're cylinders 42, operating rackbars 43, which intermesh with pinions 44 on the shafts 41. As shown in Fig. 4, these arms have hook-shaped inner ends which normally project Under and across the path otmovementof the' billet along the mandrelbar. When the mandrel-bar `hasbeen withdrawn, as stated, one or the other of' the shafts 41, dependent rpoii which side of the machine the pierced billet is to be discharged, is operat d, thereby lifting the inner ends ofv the arn'. and n ith them the billet resting on the rollers of the tilting frames 21 These arir s are so swr ng that the complete -billet vv ill roll oi'l` along the arms to one side of the machine.

After the billet has been removed the earriage 3 is shifted to the left, locked, and it necessary the mandrel adj: sted by the screw 15. The carriage in its movement to the. left Closes the billet-spporting wings or doors 33. After the mandrel has been shifted to operative position the wings or doors for the mandrel-bar are closed byl operating the hand-wheel 32. i v It desired, provision may be made for cans- `ingthe circulation of a cooling mediiim tl irorgli the m andrel-b ar. v

claim herein as my invention- 1. The combination of rolls of a billetpiercing mill, a mandrel-bar, and wings or. doors ino-."nted to move horizontally to and from operative position and arranged' in pairs and ol any desired nsmbe'r of'pairs for engaging and hold in;y the mandrel-stem in the axial line otr-ill delivery. i 1 I f 2. The combination of rolls of a billet-bV piercing mill, a mandrel-bar, doorsor wings mounted to move,V horizontally to and from operative'p'osition and inpairs and of any desire'dnrmber for engaging and holding. the mandrel-stein in the axial line of roll delivery and movable to open position the billet as it is formed along the mandrel-bar.

3. The oombination of rolls of a billetpiercing mill, a mandrel-bar, wings or doors mounted to move horizontally to and from operative position and in pairs of'any desired number for engaging and holding the mandrel-stem in the axial line of roll delivery-and mechanism for shiftin(r the doors or wings from 'an open to a closed position.-

4.The combination of rolls ofa billet-- piereing mill, a mandrel-bar, wings or doors inoiznted tomove horizontally to and from operative position and in pairs oi any desired ntnibier, and provided in their meeting faces with grooves properly proportioned for receiving and gaidmg the billet as formed and arranged with the groove-centers in the axial line of, roll delivery.

5. The combination ofkrolls of a billet-r.

piercing mill," a mandrel-bar, swinging n ings or doorsmozznted to move horizontally to and from operative position and in pairs and K of any desired nember of pairs for engaging and 1 iding the billet as formed along the mandrel, and mechanism for opening and closing suoli gi id es.

6. The combination of rolls of a billetpiercing mill, a mandrel-bar, wings or doors .in'pairs' and of any desired nr. mber of pairs for engaging and gi iding the 4billet as it is formed along the mandrel, :a movable carriaOe for sliiiitin(Y the mandrel and means in- O 2D y terpoi-ed between the carriage and doors whereby the latter may be shifted to open and Closed position -on the movement of the carriage. f

7. The combination ofrolls ol a billetypiercing nill, a'mandrel-bar, ii ings or doors horizontally movable to and from operative position and arranged in pairs and ot any desired n1 mher of pairsfor engaging and gi iding. the billet as. it is formed along the inandrel mechanism for o enin i the pines or J o doors `and mechanism 'for lirting the oompleted billet from between the open wings or doors.

8. The combination of rolls of a billet-- `bi1let-as it is formed along the mandrel, a

rio

4n'iovable carriage connected to the mandrelbar, an abutment for engaging the end of thek completed billet during the longitudinal movement of the mandrel-bar andV mechanism operative .during the longitudinal movement 'of' the mandrel-bar for opening the y wings or doors.

10. The combination of rolls`of a billetpiercing mill', a mandrel-bar, guiding wings or doors horizontally movable to and from operative position and arranged in pairs 'of any desired lnui'nbenmeans for operating the Wings or doors,v a pivotally-mounted frame arnmgedalong and belov7 the mandrel-bar, and .means for lifting. ythe. completed `billet from the Wings or frames.

11.?The combination'of rolls of a billetpiercingr mill,v a mandrel-bar,` a traveling carriage connected to the mandrel-bar, means vfor shifting the carriage and' a lock iorlhold- 1mg the carriageas against movement along its guides7 and means for adjusting the mani d'rel-bar relative to the carriage.

: 12. Acombination'ofrollsof a billet-piercin'g mill,y a hollow mandrel-bar, a traveling carriage; a head movable on the carriage'and 'having a loose` connection to the mandrel-bar,

*a hollow screw engaging a nut carried by the "carriage and having a swivel connection to the head, tubes extending through the screw o and head and connected to the mandrel-bill and a lock for holding the carriage as againstl longitudinal movement.

13.` The combination oi rolls of al billetpiercing mill, a mandrel-bar, `a traveling car-` riage, a frame arranged in the path of the fo'rvvard'end of the mandrel-bar and pvoted to swing lin t-he direction lof movei'nent lof the mandrel-bar and providedy with a bell' mouthed opening in theudirection of .the forward movement ofthe mandrel-,bar to operative position.

14. The combination ,of rolls of a billetpiercing nl ill, a mandrel-bar, a traveling carriage, aguide-frame provided with a frictionroller and pivotedto swing in the direction of `the movement of the mandrel-bar, the portion ofthe frame in the rear of the frictionroller being constructed to guide a'nd'direct the mandrel-bar onto the friction-roller,I` and position. .I

l 15. The combination of rolls otra `billetl piercing Irill, a mandrel-bar, a travelingfcarl riage connected With the mandrol-bar7 l a i guide-frame arranged in the path ofthe-for- 'Ward end` vof the mandrel-bar as itis shifted to operative position, and pivoted toswing inthe direction of movement ofthe mandrelbar, a friction-roller mounted on the frame the pivot of theframe, and means tending'to stop for limiting the movement of the frame.

r16. The lcombination of rolls of abilletpiercing nill, a mandrel-bar, a-traveling vcarriage connected to the mandrel-bar, aframe arranged in the pat-h of the forward end of I the mandrel-haras it is shiftedjto operative g position7 andr pivoted toswing in the-direcmeans tendingto hold the frame in operative forward., of the verticalk plane passing lthrough hold the frame in operativepcsition an'd a i tion of movement'ot1 the mandrel-bar, a'frici I tion-rollerinounted on thel frame forward of t the vertical planepassing through the-pivot mounted as to perni it of its being tilted backof the billet along the mandrel-bar andthe billet-supporting Wings or doors being movtion.

my hand.

yMARSHALL F. CAPRGN. Vlitnes'ses: EsTELLn CULLINs, i An'rnon E. ADAMs` ward by the billetas it is formedwalong the of the frame, the frame'being so pivotally position in the direction of the developnent l able to open position in the opposite Adirec- In. testimony ivhereof I have hereuntoset i y 

